


Evermore

by Paige_Turner36



Series: Evermore [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Anti-Belle, Anti-Charming, Anti-Herocrites, Anti-Hook, Anti-Scarlet Beauty, Episode AU: s04e13 Unforgiven, Episode AU: s04e14 Enter the Dragon, F/M, Queens of Darkness, Season 4b AU, anti-regina, anti-snow, the Dark One dagger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 18:07:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21480616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paige_Turner36/pseuds/Paige_Turner36
Summary: Rumple goes to see Belle at the shop. But his wife is not alone…
Relationships: Belle & Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Series: Evermore [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569631
Comments: 18
Kudos: 68





	Evermore

**Author's Note:**

> Scarlet Beauty was an insult to both Rumbelle and Scarlet Queen. Belle and Will, who both gave inspirational quotes about not giving up on True Love, and they gave up. I still maintain that S4 happened after the events of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.
> 
> And Belle giving Hook the dagger – the man who shot her, Rumple’s enemy and exploited the knowledge of the fake dagger at the expense of Belle's happiness rather than tell anyone – was even more insulting.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT. This is for fun and not for profit.

Rumple stood across the street, gazing at his beloved shop. His home. Oh how he’d missed it. And there, through the window, the treasure he’d missed most of all. Belle. His beautiful wife. She was hanging crystal unicorns on the mobile. His heart warmed at the sight of her, the little spec of light, of love that still glowed in the ocean of darkness, shining brighter. He had been waiting and dreading this moment. What if she had the dagger on her and would lunge for it the second he walked in and commanded him to leave town again – this time never to return? What if she had been waiting for him to come back, unable to follow him without banishing herself?

Rumple rubbed his wedding ring. _Do the brave thing and bravery will follow_. He took a deep breath and marched towards the shop door as Belle moved passed the window and disappeared from view. He hesitated, his hand gripping the door handle. Then he pushed the door open, the shop bell jingled merrily and there before him, in the middle of his shop, was his darling Belle…

…kissing another man.

Rumple’s heart stopped. Was he having another heart attack? He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. His chest tightened as of an invisible hand was squeezing his heart. Maybe it was the darkness trying to squash the last spec of hope. He felt like he was trapped in a waking nightmare as he watched Belle kissing him – willingly – her arms wrapped around his neck, eyes closed, pulling him closer, a small contended laugh escaping her as she smiled against his lips.

_She didn’t ask about you. Never even mentioned your name. I’d say she’s moved on._

All this was in the space of a second, between the shop bell ringing and Belle acknowledging the person who had entered, but it felt like an eternity to Rumple. He was too late.

Belle pulled away from Will Scarlet as they turned towards the door and stared in shock and alarm when they saw Rumplestiltskin standing there. It would have been impossible to tell which face showed more horror. Rumple at finding his wife kissing another man on his own doorstep. Belle at the reappearance of her husband finding her in the arms of another man. And Will at the prospect of being reduced to ashes for kissing the Dark One’s wife.

Belle and Will released each other, still staring at Rumple. She never thought she would see him again. Because she thought he could never come back. Never occurred to her he _would_ ever come back. But he had. He came back, he came home, he came back to her despite the odds. But it was all for nothing.

The silence stretched painfully.

‘Rumple…’ Belle whispered. ‘What – what are you doing here?’

Rumple swallowed the melon sized lump in his throat. He would not cry. He would not throw up. But most importantly he would _not_ breakdown. ‘I came back…’ His voice was small, weak and trembled, almost like a child. Like the worthless, lame spinner he once was. How could Belle even ask that question? Because she believed his power was his true love. Yet after everything they had been through, all he had done for her – more than her so-called friends did – did that count for nothing? Rumple shifted his rapidly blurring gaze to Will, blinking to clear it whilst trying to prevent them from falling. His voice still timid, he asked, ‘Who’s this?’

Belle blushed furiously. ‘Um, Rumple, this is… this is my… this – this is Will.’

‘Scarlet,’ Will added, raising his hand awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

Rumple nodded numbly, trying to process this information. ‘Will… Ah. Yes. Former Merrymen. Now the White King of Wonderland… How’s your wife?’

Of course the real question was ‘where is your wife?’, the former Red Queen. Will didn’t answer, his solemn eyes dropping to the floor, as did Rumple’s heart. First Regina, then Rumplestiltskin and now Anastasia. Villains don't get Happy Endings. So much for _true love doesn’t seem worth it, but it is_. Same as _when you find something that’s worth fighting for, you never give up_. Belle stared at Will, like the news he had a wife was a revelation. So either that meant that Will Scarlet had not told her he was married or had failed to mention he, like Belle, was still married.

‘I see,’ said Rumple. He wasn’t snide or spiteful as he would usually have been (if the people involved were different and Rumple didn’t love them). He’d lost the will to scold. Though it hurt, he didn’t feel surprised by this turn of events. Of course Belle would find someone else; better, younger, unburdened by darkness, simple and by the sound of it a much better kisser than he was. Any man in the world was a better alternative than him. ‘Well, every failed marriage has a silver lining. Excuse me –’

Rumple all but ran out the door. _The man who ran_. He didn’t care, he _was_ a coward. And he couldn’t stay there and trespass on Belle’s happiness a second longer. Rumple wiped his wet eyes as he blindly walked away down the street.

‘Rumple!’

Belle was calling him. He could hear her running after him. But he kept walking, quickening his pace.

‘Rumple, wait! Rumple, please. Please –’

Belle grabbed his arm to stop him. Rumple wrenched his arm free, but turned to face her. ‘It’s fine,’ he told her in complete contradiction to how he was feeling. ‘I wronged you. You’re the one who ended it, you can do what you want. I just… I just didn’t realise you’d move don so quickly. How long? Do you love him? …no, I’m sorry, it’s none of my business. I don’t think either answer would do any good.’

Belle looked very upset. He hated seeing Belle cry. He hated being the reason for her tears. Coming back was a mistake. He should have died in New York. He should have stayed dead.

‘I should go.’

‘No,’ said Belle desperately. ‘No you can’t. Not after you’ve come all this way to see me. You must have had a reason.’

_Because I love you. Because I’m sorry. Because I’m dying. Because you’re all in danger. Because I need your help. Because I need YOU._

‘It doesn’t matter why. The reason no longer exists –’ Rumple took a moment to control the quaver in his voice. He had come here to beg Belle’s forgiveness, on all fours if he had to. But it was too late. Belle was with someone else, she was happy. And he wanted her to stay happy. His final gift to her. Prevent the darkness from destroying her. ‘All that matters now, Belle, is your happiness. And now that you’ve finally found it… my job is to make sure you stay happy.’

‘Rumple –’

Rumple held up his hand. ‘I have no desire to ruin what you have with Will. I don’t want to hurt your anymore, Belle. I’ll walk away. I’ll leave you alone. I only want one thing.’

‘And what’s that?’ Belle asked warily.

‘My freewill back.’

‘You mean the dagger.’

‘As I said, I want my freewill back.’ He couldn’t get his heart back, but his soul was his. ‘Now I can walk this town from end to end until I hear the dagger singing. But I want to do this the right way and ask you to give it to me freely. No one decides my fate but me. you can understand that, right?’

Rumple hated to throw Belle’s own philosophy back at her, but having had his fate decided by the woman who hated anyone deciding hers was the height of hypocrisy.

‘Yes I do,’ said Belle. She met his gaze. ‘My family? My friends? You won’t harm them?’

So reminiscent of their first ever deal almost made Rumple smile. He took Belle’s ringless hand and placed it over his heart and placed his other hand over Belle’s heart. ‘You have my word,’ he whispered softly.

His word meant nothing to her now, but Rumplestiltskin never breaks a deal. He could see Belle’s eyes searching his, trying to catch one of them lying. Then she nodded. ‘And you have mine,’ she assured him. It was exactly like their first deal, but left Rumple confused on her word until Belle elaborated, ‘I will give you the dagger.’

Rumple nodded. He looked down at Belle’s hand that he was still holding. His blue opal wedding ring looked dull and forlorn in the absence of its sparkling partner. He removed his hand from Belle’s chest and released her hand.

Under different circumstances Rumple would have considered Belle not immediately removing her hand from his chest as a sign of hope. But there was no hope. Not for them. And certainly not for him.

*

Belle drove them to the dagger’s location. It felt odd to be passenger in his own car, but Rumple was lucky to even be sitting _next_ to Belle. He could sense her glancing over at him, perhaps trying to catch his eye, but Rumple kept his eyes down, unworthy to gaze upon her beauty.

The rain beat down upon them as they squelched through the mud. Belle dug with a spade from the boot of the Cadillac until she found something long wrapped in a cloth. She pulled it out and opened it. Rumple heard the whispers singing from the blade. Belle hesitated. Was she having second thoughts? Was she about to send him away for good? Then she held it out to him and Rumple took it back.

‘It’s the real one,’ Belle swore.

‘I know.’

‘Because you can hear it?’

‘Because I trust you.’

Even after everything, after she had abused both the fake and real dagger, Rumple trusted her. Far from being on the moral high ground in the matter of trust, Belle looked ashamed at her violation of Rumple’s trust.

Well, he had the dagger back, the deal was struck, there was no use staying here where he wasn’t wanted, getting wet and muddying his shoes and trousers further.

‘Thank you, Belle.’

Rumple turned and walked away.

‘Where are you going?’ Belle called, surprised by the abrupt departure.

Rumple stopped with his back to her. ‘I told you,’ he said quietly. ‘I need to make sure you stay happy. If it’s the last thing I ever do.’

‘Rumple, what happened to you out there?’

Her concern was comfort and torture. ‘I had my phone with me. My phone and the clothes on my back were all I had out there. You could have phoned me any time during the six weeks we were apart. But you didn’t. I could’ve been dead for all you knew. And I very nearly was.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You don’t need to know. You don’t deserve to know. And you will never know.’

‘Well, you never phoned me,’ Belle argued.

Rumple’s hand that was gripping the cursed dagger shook. ‘I didn’t think you wanted me to. You threw me out, remember? You left me. What sign did I have that you would even answer my call? When you told me I’ve lost you.’

He waited for Belle to answer. He _wanted_ Belle to answer. But she didn’t.

‘You shouldn’t keep Will waiting. He’ll wonder where you’ve gone.’

Rumple vanished in a puff of smoke and reappeared in his cabin, dripping water onto the rug in front of the fire.

‘I see you got the dagger back.’

Damn, he had forgotten about those dreaded queens. Ursula and Cruella were lounging in his living room liked they owned the place.

‘What did you do? Rip her heart out and force her to hand it over?’ asked Ursula.

‘I asked for it back. And she gave it to me,’ Rumple told them.

‘Just like that?’

‘I said I wouldn’t harm her or her friends.’

‘Classic.’

Rumple glared at her. ‘I gave her my word. No threats. No violence. And that extends to you ladies too.’ He looked particularly hard at Cruella. ‘Do you hear me?’

‘I couldn’t if I wanted to.’ Cruella sauntered over to him. ‘So? How was she?’

‘…she's happy. She’s…’

‘…moved on? I’m sorry, Dahling. Still,’ she rubbed his shouldered, ‘that means you can move on too.’

Rumple shrugged her off. ‘Don’t touch me.’ He still had nightmares about Zelena touching him, he didn’t want them to include Cruella de Vil too.

‘Why? Because I’m not your maid?’

‘No. You just don’t do anything for me, _Dahling_.’ Rumple looked into the bedroom and saw Maleficent sitting on the bed, staring at her child’s baby rattle. ‘How is she?’

‘Grieving,’ said Ursula, moving to check on her.

‘Leave her be,’ said Rumple. ‘Death. Forced resurrection. The loss of a child. Not something one can easily get over.’

‘So what happens now? What’s our next move?’

‘Emma Swan. The villains cannot win while there’s a Saviour. The Saviour is supposed to bring back everyone’s Happy Endings. But not ours. She sees us as evil, power hungry, unforgivable, with no feelings. Rotten to the core. We’re just your classic two dimensional, moustache twirling villains to her.’

‘Hypocrites,’ Ursula spat. ‘Regina is hardly the Good Queen and she’s about to get her Happy Ending handed to her on a silver platter because they fear she’ll go Evil Queen on their asses. And Hook and her parents aren’t exactly white as snow.’

‘So let’s show her,’ said Rumple. ‘There are two sides to every strong and our side has not been told. Let her see that things aren’t black and white. There are no heroes and villains. There are many things that can turn a good person bad: loss, betrayal, bad childhood… a curse – all of the above. But there are only three ways to turn the Saviour. And the three of you have the tools to allow her to see things from our point of view.’

‘You mean make her evil?’ asked Cruella gleefully. ‘Turn Miss Swan to the Dark Side?’

‘No,’ said Rumple firmly. ‘No lies. No manipulation. No magic. The truth. The rarely pure, never simple, you-can’t-handle-it truth. We don’t need to trick her, just change her perspective. Open her mind and her eyes. Remove her prejudice and those rose-tinted glasses and expose the truth. Her one handed lover doesn’t want to talk about his past and Emma doesn’t want to hear it, because how would she react when she hears her “reformed” pirate stole what was most precious to you and then denied ever knowing you.’

Ursula flexed her tentacles menacingly.

‘Her parents, the embodiment of good and justice, stole another mother’s baby to save their own child on the slightest possibility she _might_ turn out evil, all for the crime of being the child of a villain. And made her new bestie promise not to tell her.’

Maleficent looked up from her baby rattle and the room seemed to grown darker in wake of her suppressed rage and pain.

‘And what will Emma say when she hears she’s the way she is – good, the Saviour, lighter than light – because she never had a choice. Rather like you…’

Cruella stubbed out her cigarette on one of the portraits on the wall, burning a hole in the infant’s face.

‘We cannot win while the heroes have a Saviour.' Rumple rubbed his blackening heart. 'If we are to change the rules and level the playing field. If you three are to obtain your Happy Endings… we need a Saviour.’

And he needed to do it _quickly_. While it still matters.

**Author's Note:**

> "There are three ways to tarnish the Saviour…" When 4B promo trailer came out, I thought Rumple & the Queens of Darkness were going to make Emma the Saviour for the Villains. If she knew their side of the story it would destroy this labelling of 'Heroes' & 'Villains'. Maleficent: Snowing stole, corrupted & lost her baby. Ursula: Hook stole her singing voice & lied to Emma’s face. Cruella: taking freewill? Rumple: PTSD & the growing Darkness affecting his choices, like Emma & Lily having no choice to be good/bad.
> 
> As I said before, I hated the Author plot. Regina blamed the Author for her unhappiness and making her the Evil Queen, and without the heroes support this would have been seen as the Evil Queen trying to rewrite the Storybook because life is unfair (Regina's version of Zelena's plan). And yet when Rumple went after the Author to write out the growing Darkness and give both sides an equal chance for their Happy Endings he’s the bad guy. And gets blamed for Isaac’s Heroes and Villains story.
> 
> Not sure if I'll continue this, but I like the idea that they already have the ink in Cruella's hair, rather than turning the Saviour dark or antagonising Lily and cutting her hand for her blood. And also Emma secretly filming a dying Rumple's confession (including trying to use the Hat to free himself from the dagger so he could never been controlled or hurt his loved ones again, losing his ability to love, the threat of the Darkness and his love for Belle) on her phone and sending it to Belle. I'm sorry but "because I didn't believe it. Who could ever love me?" just completely undermines Rumple's character development S1-3 and the complexity of his actions in S4 which were as a result of everything he suffered the previous season - death, Bae's death, and being enslaved by Zelena, allowing the Darkness to get a stronger hold on him.


End file.
